” Stupid rabbit,” Alice muttered to herself as she brushed the dirt from her skirt.

“Follow me!” she mocked, waving around an imaginary pocket watch before tossing the missing object far into the forest, “What an absolute waste of my time.”

“Time is fluid here.”

“You!” she screamed at the caterpillar, “Why can none of you just leave me alone?”

“You are as lonely as you wish to be,” he pressed his lips to the hose that he held in one of his many hands and drew in a deep breath, letting the smoke slowly escape his twisted grin and swirl around him in a hypnotizing way.

Alice huffed, “And you speak in naught but riddles. You waste my time more than that damn rabbit could ever wish to.”

“What rabbit?” the caterpillar asked, his interest peaked.

“Nevermind what rabbit,” she threw her hands in the air, “all that I want is to get home and forget this ridiculous dream.”

“A dream,” he laughed, “and what would you be doing at home that could be better than here?”

“See my family again, play in my room with my dolls, maybe have a tea party. There are a million little things that I could do that would be better than staying here.”

“Well, there is a tea party down the way.”

“Never again.”

“I see you’ve already met the hatter.”

“I’ve had the displeasure,” she glared, the caterpillar was unaffected and blew another ring of smoke in her direction, which she waved off frantically before giving up on the conversation. She was getting nowhere with the overgrown insect and he was only frustrating her more; she stormed off.

“Do not forget your path! It is yours and yours alone dear Alice!”

Alice ignored him as she began to tear through the ever thickening forest, blinded by tears of frustration and led by outbursts of absolute anger. How was it so difficult to find the direction of which she had come? Why did she have to follow that blasted rabbit down his stupid, oversized hole? She felt as if she were in a complicated dream, but the many pinches she had given herself did nothing to help shake her from this never ending nightmare.